Catheters are used in a variety of medical applications. Typically, a catheter is transcutaneously introduced into an interior body lumen or cavity, such as a blood vessel or a hollow body organ. Depending on the type of medical procedure involved, there is often a need to position a catheter within the subject's body at a specific location, so that a targeted area can be treated. For example, some catheters are commonly used to deliver medicine or anesthetic fluid to a specific location within a subject.
“Stimulating catheters” have the ability to conduct electrical current and stimulate nerves in order to verify proper placement of the catheter. Stimulating catheters are commonly used to deliver anesthetic onto or near nerves in order to treat pain, or to identify specific nerves. In many types of catheters, a guidewire directs a catheter to the desired location in a subject and facilitates an accurate placement of the catheter. In the case of a stimulating catheter, the guidewire is electrically conductive, and is used to deliver an electrical current to a nerve. Typically, after the catheter is accurately positioned and an electrical current has been delivered, the guidewire is removed while the catheter stays in place. The catheter can then be used for further uses, such as for delivering anesthetic.
In addition to the difficulties associated with accurate catheter placement, handling and manipulation of catheters with internal guidewires can be very cumbersome. One particular difficulty with inserting and advancing catheters is the inability to maintain sufficient stiffness and control over both the guidewire and the catheter. For example, when a catheter is advanced, it becomes increasingly subject to kinking. Also, maintaining sufficient control over a guidewire is critical for avoiding the dangers of piercing the catheter or causing damage to a patient's system. To help lessen these problems, a dispensing device is typically used to insert a catheter and guidewire into a subject. For example, certain dispensers employ a rotating receptacle which aids in advancement of the catheter and guidewire. Unfortunately, conventional dispensers have a drawback in that typically they do not permit a user to maintain sufficient control throughout both the advancement and removal of the guidewire. For example, instead of enabling a user to reverse the guidewire in a controlled manner, they require additional steps, such as disassembling the dispenser in order to manually remove the guidewire. Furthermore, in the case of stimulating catheters, conventional dispensers typically do not permit the guidewire to maintain an electrical connection throughout both the advancement and removal of the guidewire. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide catheter dispensers which allow for safer handling and manipulation by enabling users to have increased control over the guidewire and catheter.